The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-08
SHOT THROUGH THE BRAIN.
A Quarrel Over a Girl at q SOuth-Side
Negro Dance Results in . Murder.
Abe LanderS Shot Dewn in the Street Besid'
His Sweetheart-Escape of the Per-
son Who Fired the Bullet.
Abe Landers, negro twenty two years of age,

Abe Landers, negro twenty-five years of age.
was fatally shot in front Of No. 126 South Tenn
essee street this morning, shortly before ]
o'clock, but by whom is not definitely
known. There was a dance last night
at the residence Of Henry Baker, No.
12S South Tennessee street. attended by
forty Or fifty young colored people. There was
more or less drinking. and by the midnight hour
great many of the guests were drunk enough
to be troublesome. All the evening there was
considerable quarreline. mostly over who should
dance with certain young women, and several
rows had occurred before midnight.
After II o'clock, when those present began to
make arrangements to go home, the quarrels of
the early evening were renewed. There seems
to have been among the young women present
one who was more Of a fAvorite than the others.
This person was Sbyl Barber. She had at least
three lovers in the company, and nearly all of
the evenings quarreling was over her. When she
was ready to go home, few minutes before
o'clock. Mr. Baker says she left the house with
Abe Landers, and so far as he or any of the re-
mainder Of the company noticed one else
went out When Landers and Miss Barber had
reached the street, those the inside heard
some loud words, but. as they say, did NOT go
on. for fear there would be trouble, and they
did not desire to mix in it.
John H. Crosse. who resides at No. 126 South
Tennessee, and was sleeping on the second floor
near the front window, says he heard quarreling
soon after Landers aud Miss Barber left the
Baker residence, and from the conversation
thinks that there must have been at least three
men and the GIRL In front of his house they
ark hat ha
take her home" and another said he should not
The third fellow then called out 'bang him, and
Immediately afterward he heard the report OF O
revolver, and heard persons running south. He
got up at once, went down to the street, and
found Landers lying on the sidewalk in front of
his gate. He notified the dancers in at Bakers
of what had been done, and they seemed sur
prised claiming that they had heard no shot
fired. All present claimed that no one had left
the house after Landers and Miss Barber went
out. and asserted that some one who not at
the dance must have done the shooting.
When Mr.. Crosse reached Landers's he was I'M
conscious, and. of course. could not tell who
shot him. The bullet had entered the brain just
above the left eye, and could be felt lodged in the
rear of the sknll. Some difficulty was expert
enced in finding the police When Sergeant
Quigiey and Patrolmen Slate and McMullen
were finally found, at the Spencer House, all the
negroes who were at the Dance with the excep-
ton of one or two. had gone, and little could be
| learned.
The patrol wagon conveyed the wounded man
to the station house and from thence to the City
| Hospital. where he was visited by DR.. Hodges.
| The few who remained about the scene when
| Journal reporter arrived united in saving
! that the man who did the shooting is Dave
| Crawford. who resides at Belmont They say
| he was around the house all evening, with two
| three friends. for the purpose of making
| trouble. He formerly went with the Barber
| girl. and has made many threats against Lam
| ders since the latter began paying her his atten-
| tons
night-watchman on the Union tracks, half
| square below, heard considerable of the quarrel
| ing and heard the shot fired. He says just be-
fore it was fired he car
| rage halt in tho shadow of build
| ing just below the Baker residence.
| When the shot fired he three men rum
| One of them jumped into the carriage and was
| driven east on Louisiana street very rapidly.
| The other two ran west on Louisiana street.
| The two who ran west passed near him. and he
| heard one Of them say, Il fixed the id rascal. "
AS to what became of the girl after the shoot
ing. no one seems to know The dancers say
| she did not re-enter the house, and no one re-
| members to have seen her after the shooting oc-
| Cured. The whole affair is somewhat
| mysterious, and the police we're so mud.
died that they did not know whore to begin
| work. They have every reason to believe how
ever. that several of those who were at the
dance know who did the shooting, and they will
| eventually tell. The wounded man has been
hostler at w. w. Jackson's livery stables No.
24l West Washington street. for several years
The police learned this morning that the
| other two men who were IN the affair are Dullit
| Whitehead and man named Reed. None Of
the party have been arrested, however Lander!
hospital physicians stated that he would die be
fore daylight.